Neuroblastoma in Children

About Neuroblastoma

Neuroblastoma is the most common solid tumor in childhood and the most common cancer for infants. There are over 700 cases of neuroblastoma each year in the U.S. Neuroblastoma most often originates in the adrenal glands, which are located on top of each kidney. However, tumors can begin anywhere in the body. Other common sites for neuroblastoma are the chest, neck and pelvis. While neuroblastoma may be found in only one spot in the body at the time of diagnosis in some patients, in others the cancer may have spread (metastasized) from its primary location to the lymph nodes, bone marrow, or bones.

Many researchers believe that neuroblastoma develops when normal neuroblasts (the immature cells of the sympathetic nervous system) fail to mature into normal nerve cells. The sympathetic nervous system aids in the control of the body’s internal organs. The cells that make up neuroblastoma tumors are called neuroblasts. In neuroblastoma, the neuroblasts grow and divide without the usual controls, leading to the growth of a cancerous mass of cells, also called a tumor.

News About Neuroblastoma

(FDA.gov) – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Unituxin (dinutuximab) as part of first-line therapy for pediatric patients with high-risk neuroblastoma, a type of cancer that most often occurs in young children. Neuroblastoma is a rare cancer... read more

Project: Therapeutically Targeting OPA1 in N-Myc Amplified Neuroblastoma Neuroblastoma is a cancer of the sympathetic nervous system occurring primarily in young children. While low-risk cases have a high survival rate, children with later-stage neuroblastoma have... read more

8 Weeks Old at Diagnosis Our journey with cancer began when Preston was only 8 weeks old. He had a fever, and we noticed a hard area in his scrotum so we took him to see his pediatrician. The doctor felt a mass in Preston’s abdomen and sent us immediately to the... read more